Albert b



(No Mdel.)

A. B. SKINNER.

BOOK.

No. 415,798. PatentedNoV. 26, 18891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. SKINNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,798, dated November 26, 1889.

Application tiled June 12, 1888. Serial No. 276,870. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. SKINNER, of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Books, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The said improvement relates to that class of books which are provided with indexes, and more especially to that class in which the index is permanently attached to the book, but. in such a manner as to enable it to be laid alongside the book, and both book and index opened without interfering with each other. As such books have hitherto been constructed the index has been hinged to the book by means of a broad nap, and to get at the index the book must first be opened, after which the index can be turned into position.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l is a view in perspective of a book having this improvement, the book being closed and the index partially withdrawn therefrom; Fig. 2, a view in perspective, the book being opened and the index drawn out therefrom, but not opened; Fig. 3, a section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4, and being in the line of one of the grooves in the book-4 cover, in which one of the index projections travels. The view shows one book-cover and one index-cover only. Fig. 4L is a section on the line 4 4. of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 aview in perspective showing one of the tongues j ournaled on the index-cover wire.

The views are upon various scales, and the same letters of reference denote the saine parts. l

The improvement is applicable to various forms of books, but more especially to those of the character of impression-books or account-books. The leading feature of the improvement, as stated, is so relatively constructing the book and index as to enable the index to be moved edgewise in closing it into and withdrawing it from the book. The most desirable mode of carrying out the improvement is by means of a tongue-and-groove construction-that is to say, one of the parts, either the book or its index, is constructed so that a groove is formed therein, and the other of the parts, the in dex or the book, as the case may be, is provided with a tongue or projection which is adapted to engage and' to be slipped longitudinally in the groove. It is desirable thatthe tongue be shaped so that while it can be slipped along the groove it shall not become disengaged therefrom. I prefer to have the grooves formed in the book and to attach the tongues to the index.

The special construction exhibited in the drawings I consider a desirable one for carrying out all the features oi' the improvement.

A represents a book to which the improvement is applied. Saving as it is modified by the improvement, the book is of t-he ordinary construction.

B represents an ordinary index, saving as it is modilied by the application of the improvement. The grooves a a, of which two are preferably used, are formed in the cover a of the book. Any suitable method can be adopted for the purpose of forming the grooves in the book-cover-that is, the cover may be channeled, indented, crimped, bent, molded, or built up to form a groove extending across the book-cover, as shown, and of sufficient dii'nensions to receive that part of the tongue which is intended to engage in the groove and to protect the edges of the groove and to complete it at its top, and to provide for connin g the tongue in the groove a metallic strip a2 may be used, as shown. This strip may be but slightly wider than the groove and be confined in place in the surface as of the cover, as shown; or the strip may be extended to constitute the inner surface of the cover, in which case it is suitably slit at the places where it is desired to form the grooves. The tongue b is attached to the index-cover b', and it is narrowed at b2 to enter the groove a, and it is enlarged at b3 to a width wider than the groove at the surface of the cover. As the index in opening the book may be accidentally turned bodily with the book-leaves away from the cover a', it is desirable, to avoid any strain upon the connection of the index with the book, to hinge the index-cover to the tongue, so that the index can be thus turned. To this end, as a desirable method, the indexcover may be wired at its edge, and the part b2 of the tongue may be journaled upon the IOO wire h4, substantially as shown in Fig. 5. The grooves also serve as guides to enable the tongued index to be readily inserted in its place in the book. The index is provided with a tab C, to enable it to be readily withdrawn from the book.

I olaiml. The combination, with a book having the lid a', provided with the transverse grooves a d, 0f the indeX having the cover b', the longitudinal Wire b4, attached tothe edge of said lid, and the tongues b, swinging on said wire and moving in the grooves a, substantially as speoiied.

2. The combination, with a book having the lid d', provided with the grooves d, 'and the relenforeing metal strips d2, inserted in the cover Within said grooves, of the index having the lid b, the wire b4 on the edge of said lid, and the tongues b, swung on said wire and having their enlarged lower portions traveling and held in said grooves ci, substantially as specified.

ALBERT B. SKINNER. Witnesses:

C. D. MOODY, JAMES A. GAIN. 

